Method and apparatus for monitoring grease buildup within an exhaust system

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for monitoring grease collection and buildup upon the interior surface of an exhaust system of the type utilized to vent vapors from a cooking facility. The method includes the steps of applying at least one set of operably connected patches upon the interior surface of the exhaust system and subsequently removing in sequence the patches at predetermined time intervals. As each individual patch is removed the quantity of grease deposited upon the patch is examined and compared against a predetermined standard to determine the absolute and relative quantity of grease buildup within the exhaust system. Removal and inspection of the individual patches of the set of patches is repeated until the set of patches is exhausted or the preselected standard of grease buildup is exceeded. Once either of these conditions is met the entire exhaust system is cleaned to eliminate the potentially flammable and thus highly dangerous collection of grease within the exhaust system. The apparatus includes at least one set of operably connected patches removably attached to the interior surface of the exhaust system whereby individual ones of the set of patches may be removed at preselected time intervals to examine the quantity of grease collection upon the patch and thereby determine an absolute and relative grease buildup within the exhaust system.

United States Patent [191 Van Schoyck June 24, 1975 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MONITORING GREASE BUILDUP WITHIN AN EXHAUST SYSTEM [75] Inventor: Quentin H. Van Schoyck, Christmas,

Fla.

[73] Assignee: Cylpik, Incorporated, Winter Park,

Fla.

22 Filed: Aug. 23, 1973 211 Appl. No.: 390,757

[52] US. Cl 73/28; 55/DIG. 36; 98/115 K; 126/299 R [51] Int. Cl. G0ln 33/00 [58] Field of Search 73/28, 86; 52/219; 98/115 K, 115 R, 45; 126/299 R; 55/274, DIG. 36

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,199,488 8/1965 Farr 116/117 R 3,369,346 2/1968 Wildbolz et a1 55/274 3,520,172 7/1970 Liu et a1. 73/28 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,325,086 3/1963 France 126/299 Primary Examiner-James J. Gill Assistant Examiner-Anthony V. Ciarlante Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Burns, Doane, Swecker & Mathis [5 7 ABSTRACT A method and apparatus for monitoring grease collection and buildup upon the interior surface of an exhaust system of the type utilized to vent vapors from a cooking facility. The method includes the steps of applying at least one set of operably connected patches upon the interior surface of the exhaust system and subsequently removing in sequence the patches at predetermined time intervals. As each individual patch is removed the quantity of grease deposited upon the patch is examined and compared against a predetermined standard to determine the absolute and relative quantity of grease buildup within the exhaust system. Removal and inspection of the individual patches of the set of patches is repeated until the set of patches is exhausted or the preselected standard of grease buildup is exceeded. Once either of these conditions is met the entire exhaust system is cleaned to eliminate the potentially flammable and thus highly dangerous collection of grease within the exhaust system. The apparatus includes at least one set of operably connected patches removably attached to the interior surface of the exhaust system whereby individual ones of the set of patches may be removed at preselected time intervals to examine the quantity of grease collection upon the patch and thereby determine an absolute and relative grease buildup within the exhaust system.

10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MONITORING GREASE BUILDUP WITHIN AN EXHAUST SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention pertains to a method and apparatus for monitoring collection and buildup of grease upon the interior surface of an exhaust system of the type utilized to vent vapors from a cooking facility.

In the restaurant industry cooking facilities are utilized such as ranges, grills, french fryers, etc. These devices all generate a considerable amount of grease laden vapors during a cooking operation. Typically the vapors are collected within a hood or canopy overlying the cooking unit and are vented by convection, facilitated by an exhaust fan, to the atmosphere through an exhaust duct system.

The grease laden vapors tend to cool during passage through the exhaust system and condense upon the interior surfaces of the canopy and exhaust ducts. Over a period of time of intermittent use the grease deposits harden in layers until the interior of the entire exhaust system is coated with a glaze of grease.

This grease buildup is highly flammable and presents a significant and continuously vexing fire hazard to the restaurant industry. Accordingly, exhaust systems optimumly should be systematically inspected by restaurant proprietors and/or local fire marshals to determine if cleaning is required.

Unfortunately exhaust duct cleaning operations are time consuming and extremely difficult and physically taxing to perform. Accordingly conventional cleaning operations are expensive in terms of labor as well as downtime of the cooking facility. Moreover it is extremely difficult if not impossible by means of occular techniques to make an accurate appraisal of the extent of grease collection within an exhaust system. This difticulty is accentuated in multi-storey structures where the system presents height accessibility problems.

As a consequence of the foregoing difficulty of (l) accurate and reliable appraisal, (2) expense of performing a cleaning operation, and (3) an out-of-sight out-of-mind" psychology, inspections of present restaurant exhaust systems are often delinquent, superficial, and in many instances, nonexistent.

Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide an improved inspection and monitoring system for grease buildup within restaurant exhaust systems. In this connection it would be highly desirable to interject an element of regularity and reliability with respect to grease buildup monitoring. Further it would be desirable to facilitate the time and ease of the inspection process while increasing the accuracy of determinations reached. Additionally it would be desirable to provide a method and apparatus for monitoring grease buildup in restaurant exhaust systems which could be administered by a fire authority with limited personnel assignable to the task of physically making inspections of restaurant facilities. Still further it would be highly desirable to provide a monitoring system whereby a continuous history of grease buildup within an exhaust system may be conveniently and reliably maintained.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is therefore a general object of the invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for monitoring grease collection and buildup upon the interior surfaces of an exhaust system which will obviate or minimize problems of the type previously described.

It is a particular object of the invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for increasing the accuracy and reliability of determinations reached with respect to the quantity of grease buildup within a restaurant exhaust system.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel method and apparatus which will facilitate an inspection with respect to detecting grease buildup within the interior of a restaurant exhaust system.

It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for reducing the time required to accurately inspect exhaust system of a restaurant to determine the quantity of the grease buildup within the system.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for increasing the regularity and reliability of the inspection and monitoring process for determining grease buildup within a restaurant exhaust system.

It is another object of the invention toprovide a novel method and apparatus for facilitating local administrative control over the monitoring of grease buildup within the interior of restaurant exhaust systems.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a novel method and apparatus to facilitate the monitoring of grease buildup throughout exhaust systems in high rise units where accessibility problems exist.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for maintaining an accurate history of the collection and buildup of grease within the interior of an exhaust system.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A method and apparatus for monitoring grease buildup upon the interior surface of a restaurant exhaust system operable to achieve at least some of the foregoing objects comprises the steps of applying at least one set of operably connected patches upon the interior surface of the exhaust system and subsequently removing in sequence the patches at predetermined time intervals. As each individual patch is removed the quantity of grease deposited upon the patch is examined and compared against a predetermined standard to determine the absolute and relative quantity of grease buildup within the exhaust system. Removal and inspection of the individual patches of the set of patches is repeated until the set of patches is exhausted or the preselected standard of grease buildup is exceeded. Once either of these conditions is met the entire exhaust system is cleaned to eliminate the potentially flammable and thus highly dangerous collection of grease within the exhaust system. v

The apparatus includes at least one set of operably connected patches removably attached to the interior surface of the exhaust system whereby individual ones of the set of patches may be removed at preselected time intervals to examine the quantity of grease collection upon the patch and thereby determine an absolute and relative grease buildup within the exhaust system.

THE DRAWINGS Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an axonometric view of a typical exhaust system for the collection and removal of grease vapors generated from a cooking unit within a restaurant kitchen;

FIG. 2 illustrates a plate of inspection patches in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the subject invention removably attached to the interior wall of an exhaust duct;

FIG. 3 discloses a plan view of an inspection plate containing a set of six removable inspection patches or tabs;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along section line 44 in FIG. 3 and discloses the composition and attachment of an individual test patch to the inspection plate; and

FIG. 5 discloses an individual inspection patch including an indelible indication of the date of attachment of the patch to the exhaust system, the name of the party responsible for maintaining the exhaust system in a clean condition, the sequence of removal of individual patches from the set of patches and a predetermined date of removal of the patch from the exhaust system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Context of the Invention With reference now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1 there will be seen an axonometric view of an exhaust system of the type frequently found in restaurant establishments. In this connection the exhaust system includes a main duct 12 which extends generally vertically through various floors 14 and 16 of a building and vents at the roof of the building into the atmosphere. The main duct 12 is fitted at its lowermost end with an enlargement or canopy 18 which is dimensioned to overlay a cooking unit 20. The cooking facility 20 typically may include a grill 22, an oven 24 and a french fry unit 26, etc.

As food is cooked upon the grill 22, within the oven 24 or within the french fryer 26, grease laden vapor or smoke rises by convection and is collected by the canopy or hood 18. The hood funnels the vapor into the exhaust conduit 12 for delivery to the atmosphere. This collection and exhaust procedure may be facilitated by the provision of one or more exhaust fans within the interior of the exhaust system (not shown).

In order to facilitate inspection of the interior of the exhaust system, one or more access doors 28 may be fashioned within the exhaust conduit above or into the canopy 18. Similarly each floor may be provided with a further access door 30.

Grease Buildup Monitoring System Turning now specifically to FIGS. 2-5 there will be seen detailed views of the subject matter of the instant invention.

More particularly the invention comprises an inspection plate 32 comprising a base plate 34 and a set of individual patches 36 which are connected and removably affixed to the base plate.

As depicted in FIG. 2 the inspection plate 32 is fixedly attached directly to an interior surface of a duct wall opposite access opening such as opening 28.

The individual patches preferably are composed of asbestos sheet material 40 which may be cut into a rectangle 4.inches by 2 inches. The rectangular patches 40 are encompassed within a wire mesh backing 42 of galvanized copper or aluminum. A mechanical fastener, such as a conventional staple 44, is used to secure the individual patches 36 at the base thereof to the backup plate 34.

The individual patches 36, note FIG. 4, are each indelibly imprinted with a date of application 46, the name of the party responsible for maintaining the exhaust system in a condition of predicted safety from fire hazard 48, a numeral indicating a sequence of removal 50 and a predetermined advance date of removal 52. The base plate 34 in like manner is indelibly imprinted with a date of removal 34 directly beneath each individual patch 36 corresponding to the date or removal imprinted upon the patch. This double dating is important for subsequent validation purposes once the plate is removed.

Grease Buildup Monitoring Procedure A method for monitoring the buildup of grease upon the interior surface of an exhaust system according to a predetermined embodiment of the invention includes the steps of preparing at least one test plate 32, preferably including a set of six removable test patches, each test patch being indelibly imprinted with the date of application 46 of the test plate, the name of the party responsible for maintaining the exhaust system in a clean condition 48, a numerical indicia of a sequence of removing the patch 50 and a predetermined date of removal 52. Moreover the base plate 34 is also imprinted with a predetermined date of removal 54 directly beneath each individual test patch and corresponding with the date imprinted upon the test patch. The test plate is then installed within the interior of a clean exhaust duct system.

Once the test plate has been applied to the system is operated under normal conditions until an initial date of removal of the first patch is reached. Preferably this date imprinted upon the initial test patch is one month after installation. At this point in time, access to the set of patches is achieved and the patch marked with the numeral 1 is removed. The removed patch is then carefully examined to determine the quantity of grease collection upon the patch. Such examination may include depth measurement, weight measurement, color comparison techniques, etc. as desired against a predetermined standard to determine if the quantity of grease buildup within the exhaust system is objectionable. The removed patch is then enclosed within a plastic envelop (not shown) and forwarded to a local fire inspection authority for backup examination and permanent storage in a file for future reference.

If at this point in time the grease buildup is of such a sufficient quantity that a previously determined fire hazard standard is exceeded, the test plate is removed and forwarded to the local fire marshal and the entire exhaust system is cleaned. If the standard is not exceeded then the cooking facility is again utilized in a normal manner until the date of removal of the second patch is reached. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention this date will be two months from the initial date of installation. At this point in time the second patch is removed and examined in a manner as discussed in connection with the first patch. The above procedure is continued, preferably on a monthly basis, until the removed patch exhibits a quantity of grease collection in excess of the preselected standard which indicates that the exhaust system needs to-be cleaned, or the entire set of six patches is removed, which by experience will automatically indicate that cleaning is desirable.

By the provision of the foregoing technique it will be appreciated that the authority charged with the responsibility of maintaining control over community fire hazards is continuously and on a regular basis appraised of the condition of the exhaust system within the local restaurant kitchens. Moreover "a monthly history of grease buildup is established for future reference as desired.

The reliability and accuracy of the foregoing inspection system may be further enhanced by application of a plurality of sets of patches throughout the exhaust duct system. In this connection individual patches'may be removed from a plurality of locations and correlated to produce an average system reading if desired.

SUMMARY OF THE MAJOR ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION From the foregoing detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention several advantages 0f the invention have been specifically or inherently delineated.

Briefly summarizing, however, a principal advantage of the subject invention entails the application of a set of removable patches which are by predesign regularly removed and inspected, so that an absolute and relative quantity of grease buildup within an exhaust system may be accurately and reliably determined. This advantage is particularly significant in high rise buildings where a plurality of sets of test patches may be utilized to produce an average grease buildup reading for the entire exhaust system.

Further the subject method and apparatus may be utilized in considerably less time than conventional occular inspection techniques and concomitantly with considerably less difficult in performing the inspection operation.

Moreover, the subject invention provides a predetermined regular monitoring and inspection system which will thus minimize the previously known tendency to procrastinate with respect to inspection of the exhaust system. More specifically each test patch has a predated removal date which corresponds to a removal date imprinted on an underlying portion of the backup plate. Thus regular inspection dates are maintained.

Still further the subject method and apparatus enables local authorities charged with minimizing fire hazards in the community to maintain an increased supervisory role with respect to restaurant kitchen exhaust systems. In this connection, if the local fire authority does not receive a test patch within a few days of the previously determined removal date, a personal visit to the restaurant is indicated. Moreover a permanent grease accumulation history is provided including the date of removal of individual patches and the date of receipt at the fire authority for future reference as desired. One such reference may be made by insurance carriers to determine if the restaurant proprietor is complying with safety standards.

While the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that additions, deletions, modifications and substitutions or other changes not Y specifically described may be made which will fall within the purview of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: Y

1. A method for monitoring the collection and buildup of grease upon the interior surface of an' exhaust system of the type utilized to vent vapors from cooking facility comprising the steps of:

a. applying at least one set of operably connected patches upon the interior surface of the exhaust system;

b. removing one of the patches from the set of patches at a predetermined time subsequent to initial application of the set of patches;

c. examining the removed patch to determine quantity of grease collection upon the patch;

d. comparing the quantity of grease collected upon the removed patch with a preselected standard to determine the quantity of grease buildup within the exhaust system; and

e. repeating steps (b) through (d) until the set of patches are exhausted or the preselected standard of .grease buildup is exceeded.

2. A method for monitoring the collection and buildup of grease upon the interior surface of an exhaust system'of the type utilized to vent vapors from a cooking facility as defined in claim 1 and further comprising the step ofz I removing the grease buildup from the exhaust system once the set of patches are exhausted or the preselected standard of grease buildup is exceeded which ever comes first.

3.. A method for monitoring the collection and buildup of grease upon the interior surface of an exhaust system of the type utilized to vent vapors from a cooking facility as defined in claim 1 and further comprising the steps of:

applying a plurality of sets of patches at spaced locations throughout the exhaust system; and

removing one of the patches from each set of patches at predetermined time intervals and performing steps (c) and (d) for each patch.

4. A method for monitoring the collection and buildup of grease upon the interior surface of an exhaust system of the type utilized to vent vapors from a cooking facility as defined in claim 1 and further comprising the step of:

prior to said step of applying at least one set of operably connected patches indelibly marking the set of patches with the date of installation of the set of patches within the exhaust system.

5. A method for monitoring the collection and buildup of grease upon the interior surface of an exhuast system of the type utilized to vent vapors from a cooking facility as defined in claim 1 and further comprising the step of:

prior to said step of applying at least one set of operably connected patches within the interior of the exhaust system indelibly marking each patch with an identification of the party responsible for maintenance of the exhaust system.

6. A method for monitoring the collection and buildup of grease upon the interior surface of an exhaust system of the type utilized to vent vapors from a cooking facility as defined in claim 1 and further comprising the step of:

prior to said step of applying at least one set of operably connected patches indelibly numbering the i the patches in sequence so as to establish an order for removal and inspection.

7. A method for monitoring the collection and buildup of grease upon the interior surface of an exhaust system of the type utilized to vent vapors from a cooking facility as defined in claim 1 and further comprising the step of:

prior to said step of applying at least one set of operably connected patches indelibly marking each one of said set of patches with a predetermined date of removal.

8. A method for monitoring the collection and buildup of grease upon the interior surface of an exhaust system of the type utilized to vent vapors from a cooking facility as defined in claim 7 and further comprising the step of:

prior to said step of applying at least one set of operably connected patches indelibly marking a backup plate in a posture behind each test patch with a predetermined date of removal identical with the date of removal imprinted upon a corresponding test patch.

9. A method for monitoring the collection and buildup of grease upon the interior surface of an exhaust system of the type utilized to vent vapors from a cooking facility as defined in claim 1 and further comprising the step of:

following said step of comparing forwarding the removed test patch to a local fire hazard inspection authority.

10. A method for monitoring the collection and buildup of grease upon the interior surface of an exhaust system of the type utilized to vent vapors from a cooking facility comprising the steps of:

a. indelibly marking a set of six asbestos sheet patches with an original date of installation and a numerical sequence of removal;

b. applying the set of patches upon the interior surface of the exhaust system;

c. removing one of the patches from the set of patches at a predetermined time subsequent to initial application of the set of patches;

(1. examining the removed patch to determine the quantity of grease collection upon the patch;

e. comprising the quantity of grease collected upon the removed patch with a preselected standard to determine the quantity of grease buildup within the exhaust system;

f. repeating steps (0) through (e) until the set of patches are exhausted or the preselected standard of grease buildup is exceeded; and

g. removing the grease buildup from the entire exhaust system once the set of patches are exhausted or the preselected standard of grease buildup is exceeded which ever comes first. 

1. A method for monitoring the collection and buildup of grease upon the interior surface of an exhaust system of the type utilized to vent vapors from a cooking facility comprising the steps of: a. applying at least one set of operably connected patches upon the interior surface of the exhaust system; b. removing one of the patches from the set of patches at a predetermined time subsequent to initial application of the set of patches; c. examining the removed patch to determine the quantity of grease collection upon the patch; d. comparing the quantity of grease collected upon the removed patch with a preselected standard to determine the quantity of grease buildup within the exhaust system; and e. repeating steps (b) through (d) until the set of patches are exhausted or the preselected standard of grease buildup is exceeded.
 2. A method for monitoring the collection and buildup of grease upon the interior surface of an exhaust system of the type utilized to vent vapors from a cooking facility as defined in claim 1 and further comprising the step of: removing the grease buildup from the exhaust system once the set of patches are exhausted or the preselected standard of grease buildup is exceeded which ever comes first. 3.. A method for monitoring the collection and buildup of grease upon the interior surface of an exhaust system of the type utilized to vent vapors from a cooking facility as defined in claim 1 and further comprising the steps of: applying a plurality of sets of patches at spaced locations throughout the exhaust system; and removing oNe of the patches from each set of patches at predetermined time intervals and performing steps (c) and (d) for each patch.
 4. A method for monitoring the collection and buildup of grease upon the interior surface of an exhaust system of the type utilized to vent vapors from a cooking facility as defined in claim 1 and further comprising the step of: prior to said step of applying at least one set of operably connected patches indelibly marking the set of patches with the date of installation of the set of patches within the exhaust system.
 5. A method for monitoring the collection and buildup of grease upon the interior surface of an exhuast system of the type utilized to vent vapors from a cooking facility as defined in claim 1 and further comprising the step of: prior to said step of applying at least one set of operably connected patches within the interior of the exhaust system indelibly marking each patch with an identification of the party responsible for maintenance of the exhaust system.
 6. A method for monitoring the collection and buildup of grease upon the interior surface of an exhaust system of the type utilized to vent vapors from a cooking facility as defined in claim 1 and further comprising the step of: prior to said step of applying at least one set of operably connected patches indelibly numbering the patches in sequence so as to establish an order for removal and inspection.
 7. A method for monitoring the collection and buildup of grease upon the interior surface of an exhaust system of the type utilized to vent vapors from a cooking facility as defined in claim 1 and further comprising the step of: prior to said step of applying at least one set of operably connected patches indelibly marking each one of said set of patches with a predetermined date of removal.
 8. A method for monitoring the collection and buildup of grease upon the interior surface of an exhaust system of the type utilized to vent vapors from a cooking facility as defined in claim 7 and further comprising the step of: prior to said step of applying at least one set of operably connected patches indelibly marking a backup plate in a posture behind each test patch with a predetermined date of removal identical with the date of removal imprinted upon a corresponding test patch.
 9. A method for monitoring the collection and buildup of grease upon the interior surface of an exhaust system of the type utilized to vent vapors from a cooking facility as defined in claim 1 and further comprising the step of: following said step of comparing forwarding the removed test patch to a local fire hazard inspection authority.
 10. A method for monitoring the collection and buildup of grease upon the interior surface of an exhaust system of the type utilized to vent vapors from a cooking facility comprising the steps of: a. indelibly marking a set of six asbestos sheet patches with an original date of installation and a numerical sequence of removal; b. applying the set of patches upon the interior surface of the exhaust system; c. removing one of the patches from the set of patches at a predetermined time subsequent to initial application of the set of patches; d. examining the removed patch to determine the quantity of grease collection upon the patch; e. comprising the quantity of grease collected upon the removed patch with a preselected standard to determine the quantity of grease buildup within the exhaust system; f. repeating steps (c) through (e) until the set of patches are exhausted or the preselected standard of grease buildup is exceeded; and g. removing the grease buildup from the entire exhaust system once the set of patches are exhausted or the preselected standard of grease buildup is exceeded which ever comes first. 